As NHL bargaining heats up, a closer look at Sharks ownership — who they are, what they have to say

There are plenty of sources out there where anybody interested can keep track of where things stand in the negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA, so I haven’t felt the need to spell out the particulars here.

But let’s just say it’s more complicated than what share of hockey-related revenue (however it gets defined) goes to the guys lacing up the skates. The NHLPA sees increased revenue sharing as key to the survival of all 30 teams (and, by extension, all 700 NHL jobs) while the league once again sees more player give-backs as the answer. Resolve those vastly different world views and everything else will fall into place, but that’s a tall order.

I don’t consider myself an alarmist, but when asked, I tell people I think it’s highly unlikely there’s an agreement in place by Sept. 15 and almost equally unlikely all 82 regular-season games will be played in 2012-13.

Sort of along those lines, there’s a story in tomorrow’s print edition — and now available online (see link at right) — that takes a deeper look at the Sharks ownership group than anything we’ve done in the past.

It’s based on the lengthy sit-down conversation back in June with owners Kevin Compton and Stratton Slavos, the most active members of the group. Parts of the story have appeared in print before, but this is an attempt to provide more context and tie a few loose ends together.

The one topic that was off the table that day was the upcoming CBA negotiations. The league has directed its teams to keep lips zipped on that topic, and neither Compton nor Sclavos would offer his two cents.

But it was clear the Sharks see themselves in the middle ground — not a large market money machine, not a small market team crying poverty.

And it’s safe to say that San Jose backs the NHL’s effort to limit both the length of contracts and the ability to circumvent the salary cap with signing bonuses and huge gaps in annual salary over the course of a deal.

*****The print edition package also contains thumbnail profiles of each of the owners invested in Sharks Sports & Entertainment. That’s linked in the right-hand column, too.

*****Compton and Sclavos covered a wide range of topics, not all of them fitting in the parameters of the story or the available newsprint space. We’ve created a separate online quote box that also is now linked in the right-hand column.

Here’s a sample of what else the two had to say:

On the possibility of the A’s moving to San Jose:

Sclavos: “You can always look at these things as a problem or an opportunity. In our discussions, we’re led to believe there’s probably opportunity there for us. We do a lot of things really well in sports marketing and ticket sales and sponsorship sales. We think those assets could be leveraged other places.”

On the agreement with city to operate HP Pavilion, now the NHL’s sixth oldest rink:

Compton: “We’re very happy with the city and our relationship with them. Nothing’s at stress. We’re not going to raise our hands and say, ‘if you guys don’t change those entry doors, we’re going to move.’ ”

On getting less involved in Shark financials than tech investments:

Compton: “The finances kind of are what they are. In tech, I can take my CEO and say ‘what would we do if we added this market segment?’ We’re going to play 82 games. If I went to Malcolm and said, what if we play 86 games – which I could do in my other businesses — I can’t do that here.”

On advising Doug Wilson on personnel matters:

Compton: “I think if he’s looking for us to assess players, we have a different problem.”

*****Anyway, a post-publication thought or two.

Without access and the ability to hire a forensic accountant to examine the team’s financial statements, there’s no way to independently verify that the Sharks lost $15 million last season, as Compton has stated. Skepticism is understandable.

But there’s a segment of the fan base out there that goes right skepticism and starts making accusations and declarations that aren’t grounded in reality. Generally I try to stay out of the back-and-forth that goes on in the comment section of this blog, for example, but occasionally I feel the need to set the record straight.

This is one of those occasions. Say what you will about the Sharks ownership group, but you have not heard anybody publicly complain in years about their financial situation. For the most part, they say absolutely nothing — frustrating to some of those who follow the team. When Compton and Sclavos did talk about financial losses earlier this summer, they treated the situation matter-of-factly.

And when the topic came up in the June meeting, Compton and Sclavos even challenged the assembled media — CSNBayArea, AP and two of us from the Merc included — by asking “have you ever heard us complain about it?” No one had.

I’m not spelling all this out because wealthy guys need me to come to their defense. And I’m not trying to curry favor with people whose decisions when it comes to everything from ticket prices to a vote of confidence in GM Doug Wilson can be legitimately questioned.

I’m spelling it all out because one of the great dangers of the digital age is the fact that anybody can say anything anonymously and somebody somewhere will accept it as truth. At times, fans need to be held accountable, too.

******A little house-keeping, too.

The Sharks offer season-ticket holders the option of paying for their tickets in six installments — two of which come after the Sept. 15 expiration of the current CBA. Last week those season-ticket holders were advised they would not be charged those last two payments unless or until a new agreement was in place. Those charges, by the way, will be adjusted to reflect the actual number of games on the schedule, according to the email sent out by the team.

And the Sharks did sign left wing Brandon Mashinter to a one-year contract. Don’t have the salary amount yet, but Mashinter is expected to compete for a fourth-line spot with Frazer McLaren and John McCarthy.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.